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Saturday, June 16, 2018

WMBL UNDERGOES RE-BRAND

EDMONTON, AB – The WMBL is excited to announce the rebranding of the League. Starting at the beginning of the 2019 season the new name will be: Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL).

With roots tracing back to 1931, the WMBL Board of Governors voted early this May to decide the change. After 87 years of operating under various models and names, the new brand will represent a celebration of that which binds the League together. The WMBL feels that now is the time to change, as we continue to be part of this country’s growing baseball image. As more college players look for strong competitive leagues in which to play over their summers, we feel that this new title will better reflect our Canadian identity in order to better interest players to come and experience our League & our nation. Placing the country’s name directly in the new league title hopes to bring additional recognition to Canadian baseball as a whole.

WMBL President Kevin Kvame had this to say about the change, “We are excited about the new name, in that it will highlight the fact that the League’s footprint lies entirely in Canada. We are a baseball showcase for Canada and are proud to bring in fans and players to celebrate our beautiful country. Being in Canada gives us a unique advantage to provide great experiences to not only our homegrown talent, but visiting players as well. The same applies for the fans and community sponsors of the League”

The new logo proudly shows the Maple Leaf with a projecting baseball along with the words “Western Canadian Baseball League” in sports themed font.

In a second major announcement, the WCBL will be reintroducing their League-wide All-Star Game, to be held in Edmonton, Alberta in 2019, then again in 2020. The 2019 All-Star Game will be held on the evening of Monday, July 8 - the day prior to the 2019 MLB All Star Game.

“The League is thrilled that Pat [Cassidy] and the Edmonton Prospects are committed to putting on a showcase for the League’s wealth of talent. We expect Edmonton, like it has done for so many events over the years, to fully embrace the opportunity of hosting this event in 2019 & 2020,” commented Kvame.

The League and the Prospects are currently working on the format, timing, additional activities, and logistics for the 2019 All-Star Game and expect to release these details publicly in the coming weeks.

The Edmonton Prospects team owner and managing partner Pat Cassidy stated, “I can’t describe how thrilled we are that they’ve adopted our proposal to bring the WCBL All-Star Game to the great sports city of Edmonton in 2019 & 2020. We know that our fans and baseball community will join with many new fans to make this a must-attend event in Alberta’s capital.”

Now with two strong divisions in the WMBL, another goal is that the rebranding and All-Star Games could potentially bring greater interest to other cities for the purposes of League expansion.